Egnatia and Celje Produce a Thriller Ahead of a Potential Meeting with Ararat-Armenia

Albania’s Egnatia and Slovenia’s Celje drew 3–3 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The tie will be decided in the return match in Slovenia.

The hosts took the lead as early as the seventh minute thanks to an own goal by Daniel. Luka Kvesić equalised before half-time, and Armandas Kučys put Celje ahead in the 54th minute.

Egnatia responded with goals from Miguel Medeiros and Adama Diabate, but Kvesić completed his brace to make the final score 3–3.

Both teams are familiar to Armenian football fans. In 2023, Ararat-Armenia and Egnatia played out a dramatic tie whose winner was decided in a penalty shootout. The Armenian club advanced on that occasion.

The Yerevan-based side faced Celje in 2020, when European qualifying rounds consisted of a single match because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ararat-Armenia won 1–0.

The Slovenian club also played against Pyunik in 2024. The Armenian team won the first leg 1–0, but Celje claimed a 4–1 victory in the return match and advanced. All four of the Slovenian side’s goals were scored by two-metre-tall Lithuanian forward Armandas Kučys, who came on as a substitute. The striker remains with the team and also scored in the first leg against Egnatia.

Ararat-Armenia will face the winner of this tie in the third qualifying round of the Champions League if they overcome Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers. In the event of defeat, the Armenian club will continue in the Europa League, where they will meet the losing team from the Egnatia–Celje tie.

Ararat-Armenia defeated Shamrock Rovers 2–0 in the first leg. However, the return match in Dublin is still to come, so the outcome of the tie has not yet been decided.

Therefore, regardless of the result of the return match against the Irish club, Ararat-Armenia’s next opponent will be either Egnatia or Celje.